Towing harness



Al1g- 15, 1951 M. w. BAUMAN 2,996,228

TOWING HARNESS Filed Sept. 26, 1958 Wm ,mm/)z v ATTORNEYS United States Patent 2,996,228 TOWING HARNESS Malcolm W. Bauman, S. Pine St., Castanea, Pa. Filed Sept. 26, 1958, Ser. No. 763,636 1 Claim. (Cl. 224-15) This invention relates to harnesses generally, and more particularly has reference to a harness which is adapted to be used by an individual in towing any of various objects.

The invention has particular adaptability as a harness for towing large game, such as deer, but as will presently appear, the harness has general utility as a towing device, and might be employed advantageously, for example, as a means whereby one may pull a sled, wagon, or like vehicle.

Hereinafter, the invention will be described with specilicV reference to its adaptability as a means facilitating the towing of game, but as noted above, this is not to be considered as unduly restrictive of the scope of the invention.

In the towing of game, considerable diiculty is presented, ordinarily, in that in many instances the animal will be quite heavy. This would be true, for example, when one has killed a deer, and must haul the same out of the woods. Many hunters hunt individually, or, in any event, are a substantial distance away vfrom companions at the time the game is killed and must be hauled out. Ordinarily, it is the practice to tie a rope or equivalent means about the animals head, after which one attempts to haul the animal out of the woods as best he can. This places undesirable strain upon ones muscles, due to the continual twisting of the body when the ani mal is being pulled out in this conventional way.

Still further, this arrangement has the disadvantage that it does not free both of ones hands. This is undesirable inasmuch as one may need both hands free to carry his rie, assist himself through heavy underbrush, etc.

It has been heretofore proposed to provide a harness tov obviate the diiculties noted above, and the present `invention is not intended to constitute, in its essential characteristics, the broad, over-all concept of using a harness adapted for hauling game out of the woods. Rather, the invention is intended to be a more particular, novel improvement in this general category of devices.

One object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide a harness of the character described that will be of a generally improved nature as compared to harnesses previous'ly devised for the same purpose.

Another object is to provide a harness as stated which will be characterized by the simplicity of its construction.

A fur-ther object is to provide a harness as described which will be applicable to ones body with maximum speed and ease, and which will be removable from the body with equal facility.

A further object is to provide a harness as stated which will not interfere with use of the hands, thus leaving both hands free for carrying objects, assisting oneself over rugged terrain, etc.

Another object of importance is to provide a harness which will be comfortable when worn, while yet being specially digned to permit a heavy pulling force to be exerted.` i

- Another object is to so design the harness that although a heavy pulling force is exerted, the exertion expended by the user will be kept to a minimum.

Another object is to provide a novel arrangement of straps or equivalent flexible elements, so designed as to cause al1 the exertion to be transmitted to and concen- Vtrated in the particular point to which the animal-attached pulling cable or strap is connected.

A further object is to so form the harness as to facilitate the making of adjustments in the various component ice parts thereof, whereby to swiftly lit the harness to the particular user.

Other'objects will appear from the following description, the claimY appended thereto, and from the annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

FIGURE 1 isa perspective view of the harness as seen from the rear when in use;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front elevational view thereof; l j

FIGURE 3 is a still further enlarged, detail sectional view substantially on line 3--3 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a detail sectional View, on a scale substantially equal to Athat of FIGURE 3, taken on line 4 4 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the harness comprising the present invention has been generally designated 10 and is shown in FIGURE 1 in use on the body of a hunter H, for the purpose of hauling a game animal A. Y

The harness 10 includes a breast pad 12, which is roughly trapezoidal in configuration, said breast pad being made of stout leather, plastic, or any other suitable material, it being understood that the use of particular materials is not critical to the present invention.

The breast pad 12, in the illustrated, preferred embodiment, comprises a pair of like back and front pieces 14, 16 respectively (see FIGURE 4), having their peripheries -in registration, said pieces being stitched together throughout their peripheries by a line of stitching 18.

The device further includes a pair of shoulder straps 20. Shoulder straps 20 in the illustrated example are formed from elongated, wide lengths of webbing. Again, other materials may be employed as long as they have the requisite characteristics of strength, flexibility, and resistance to deterioration when exposed to the elements.

The shoulder straps 20 diverge upwardly from the top edge of the pad, with the forward ends of the shoulder straps being inserted between the top edge portions of the back and front pieces 14, 16 respectively. Said front ends of the shoulder straps are iixedly secured to the back and front pieces, as for example, by rivets 22.

The stitching V18, as will be noted, passes across the straps, adjacent the riveted connections, further strengthening the connection of the straps to the breast pad.

Shoulder straps 20, in use, extend over the shoulders of the wearers body, as shown in FIGURE 1, and then extend downwardly in converging relation, toward the small of the wearers back, said shoulder straps terminating, however, a substantial distance above the small of the back, as will be clearly seen'rfrom FIGURE l.

The breast pad, meanwhile, preferably is disposed rather high upon the chest, in a centered position, as shown in FIGURE 1.

An elongated, wide band generally designated 24 extends transversely of the breast pad adjacent the lower edge thereof. Band 24 has its mid-length portion eX- tended between the pieces 14, 16, said mid-length portion being bowed upwardly to a slight degree in apreferred arrangement. This defines, when the mid-length portion of band 24 is secured by rivets 26 to the breast pad, laterally outwardly projecting, elongated side straps 28 of equal length. The side straps are inclined downw-ardly outwardly from the opposite sides of the breast pad, in perpendicular relation to the downwardlyY oonvergent side edges 29 of the breast pad. Y

The side edges 29, by reason of their downwardly convergent relation, are at an angle to each other, with the respective side straps 28 extending outwardly from the respective side edges perpendicularly thereto. This provides necessarily, for the above-mentioned'inclina tion of the side 'straps vdownwardly outwardly from the respective, opposite sides of the breast pad.

"The top edge of the breast pad, as shown in FIGURE 2; includes angularly related edge portions '31. These' are at a wide obtuse angle to each other, and extending perpendicularly to the respective edge portions 31 .are the shoulder'straps 20.

ABy reason of this arrangement, the shoulder straps 20 diverge upwardly from the breast pad. It is^also .a 'characteristic of the invention thatthe arrangementresults'in a perpendicular Vdisposition of the lengthtof the side and shoulder strapsto the portions of the stitching "18 vextending thereacross. In this way, a particularly strong connection is provided between each strap and the breast pad, whereby the stitching Iand the rivets both function in absorbing the pullingforceexerted vonthe several straps 'during the normal usage of theY device. .A coaction of the stitching andrivets thus results, in the sense that both constitute positive connections of the straps to the breast pad, designed to bring about a particularly strong connection of the straps to the pad. The nal result is'that although the rpad is quitesmall, it serves as va particularly eiective connector means vat the front of the device, from which the several straps diverge. The small size of the breast pad of course leaves a maximum amount of the hunters garment exposedat the front, thereby to permit ready access to the several pockets that the hunter Vwould ordinarily have n his clothing.

Apart from the above, Ian even stronger connection results from the fact that the side straps 28 are 'portions of a single band, as previously discussed herein. Due to the arrangement illustrated, any pull on the side straps is taken up, in the final analysis, by the mid-length portion of the band, and is not required tobe assumed by the breast pad.

Connected to the rear ends of the shoulder and side straps are identical, at connector plates 30. The connector plates 30 are all alike, so that the description of one will suice for all. As will be seen from FIGURE V3, each connector plate is formed with a plunality of slots 32, 34, 36, and also formed in each plate 30 is a relatively small circular opening l38 formed in a bluntly pointed forward Aend 39 of the plate.

Each strap, Whether it be a side strap or a shoulder strap, is lfirst extended, Ias Iat 40, through slot 32, then extended reversely at 42 through the slot 34, and then looped rearwardly through slot 36, las shown at 44. Thereafter, the material of the strap is extended in .a reverse direction through slot 32, `leaving a free end portion 46 of the strap.

lWhen a pulling -force is exerted on the strap, as' would of course be true in normal use of the device, the strap is tightened in the slots, following threading of the strap through said slots to attach the same to the connector plate.

Of course, the length of the strap can be adjusted, merely'by disposition of a selected portion thereof through the slots.

Designated at 48 are snap clasps, having loops 49 at one end yextending through the apertures 38 of the respective connector plates. The clasps 48 project forwardly from the respective connector plates, :and at their forward ends are detachablyconnected to a ring 50.

'Ring 50is centrally disposed in the lower area of the users back, as shown in FIGURE 1, with all the straps being connected thereto,. as Vclearly seen in FIGURES 1 and 2.

Designated at 52 is a flexible element, having at one end a loop 53 connecting the same to a snap clasp 54 detachably connected to thefring. At its other end, element 52 has aloop 56 connected Ito a clasp 58, thefree end ofwhich is adapted to receive the body portion of the element 52 after extension about the head vof the animal, 'thus formingwa loop 60 `receiving the animals head. Y

It Willbeiapparentthat When in use,.the deviceis effi- 4 ciently adapted for hauling the animal, and the pulling pressure is distributed over a substantial area of "the shoulders, chest, and sides of the user. The pulling force is transmitted to the ring, so fas to be concentrated at the head end of the element" 52. The result is that a great weight can be hauled through evenlheavy underbrush, with minimum` discomfort and fatigue so1far1as1the user is concerned.

Another desirable characteristic of-the invention resides in theease with which the same may be applied to or removed from the body. The shoulders are readily freed of the straps 20, merely by slipping said straps ol the shoulders. In these circumstances, the upward vpull that would normally be exerted upon the breast pad by the shoulder straps is immediately eliminated. The breast pad then tends to sag downwardly to a slight degree. By reason of the fact that the side straps diverge downwardly outwardly from'the opposite sides of the'breast pad, the downward movement of the breast pad creates a certain amount of slack in the side straps, so that the side straps can be slippedv downwardly ol the users body.

This is mentioned merely as one way in whiclh the harness could be removed. Of course, one may readily reachaibout his body to engage selected ones of the clasps k48`for detaching the same from thering 50.

In any event, therdevice is also possessed of a desirable characteristic wherein it frees` both hands oef the user for carrying articles, such as a rifle or other hunting equipment.

Still further, the device is adapted to be manufactured at comparatively low cost, while yet being capable of a high degree of resistance-to wear, the device having lthe 'further characteristic of being foldable into a relatively compact article easily stored in a small space in ones hunting gear.

It is believed apparent that the inventionl is not necessarily conlined to the specc use or uses thereof described above, since it may -be utilized Afor any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the speciic construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, Vvit being considered that *the invention comprehends any minor `changes in construction that may be penmitted withinthe scope ofthe appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A towingharness consisting of a body band having end portions and a -middle portion, a breast pad secured to said middle portion and opstanding therefrom, a pair of shoulder straps having -forward ends secured -to the pad, said shoulder straps land said band end portions having tfree rear ends, a single tow line ring, and separable fasrteners on the free ends of the. shoulder straps and body band end portionsseverally engagedon said ring,and plates securedon the straps `at and extending beyond the free ends of the straps, said plates'having free end portions to which the fasteners are pivoted, and means `adjustably securing the straps to the plates comprising spaced slots through which portions of the straps are alternately trained.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Zotkewicz Mayy 6, 8 

